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4. A Fourth main Impediment to Refor∣mation, is Wilfulness, or the Obsti∣nacy of our W••lls. The Truth of this I have at large demonstrated in the sixth Branch of the Use of I••formation to which for proof I shall referr you, so that I have no more now to do
in this place, than according to the Di∣rection in hand to Admonish you of this your wilfulness, and endeavour to incline you unto a contrary bent, or to bend your Wills as we do things crooked, a contrary way.
1. Labour to be sensible, that this is the very cause of your not being Reformed hitherto, & & acknowledge it, not excusing the Obstinacy, perverseness of your Wills, or your wilful persisting in sin, saying, I had a great mind and will to the contrary, to be better, and to Re∣form my Old course of Life, to leave my old haunts, &c. Confess, as the Truth is, That you have set at nought Gods Counsel, and would none of his Reproof, Prov. 1.25. Com∣plain of your self, as Christ did of Jerusalem, saying, (Mat. 23.37. O Jerusalem, Jeru∣salem, thou that Killest the Prophets, How of∣ten would I, &c. and ye would not.) In like sort do you confess your sin, and bemoan your selves, saying, O my Soul, thou that hast quenched the Spirit, and resisted the Holy Ghost, how often would thy Saviour have ga∣thered thee as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings, and Thou Would'st not?
2. As for the Future, be Admonished to take heed of Wilfulness, of being wedded to your own Wills in Competition with, or in Oppo∣sition to the Will of God. This is that, which
Scripture styles stiff-neckedness, or to have a Neck as an Iron Sinew, which by Interpreta∣tion is to have an Obstinate Will, Esay 48.4. I know, saith God to Judah, that thou art ob∣stinate, and thy Neck is as an Iron Sinew; (and observe what follows) and thy brow brass. If our Necks do once come to be an Iron Si∣new, our brows will soon become as Brass. A stiff Neck, and a brazen Face will not be long asunder; we do usually find them coupled to∣gether. Be then Admonished in the words of Hezekiah to h s People, 2 Chron. 30.8. Be not ye stiff-necked as your Fathers were but yield your selves unto the Lord. This wilfulness is both sin, and the punishment of sin. See Psal. 81.11, 12. But my People would not hearken unto my Voyce, and Israel would none of me. (Mark the words ingeminated, Would not, Would not, and mark then what follows) So I gave them up to their own Hearts Lusts. As Wilfuln••ss was their sin, so being given up to their wills, was their punishment. And what manner of punishment was this? or what was the Consequen e of it? Mark the following words. And they walked in their own Coun∣sels. And indeed what Rationally can be ex∣pected, but that he, that is given up of God to his own Will, should walk after it? Such a self-will'd sinner, we may be sure, shall ne∣ver want woe, as the Proverb hath it. O
pray to God to give you a self-denying will, to take away this self-will, this stiff will of yours, and to give you a plyant and comply∣ing will (to speak in allusion to that expression of God himself, by the Prophet Ezekiel, Chap. 36.26.) A new Heart, a new Spirit, a new Will, as doth the Psalmist, saying, Psal. 51.10. Create in me a clean Heart, O God, and renew a right Spirit within me. Pray to God both to incline, and to dis-incline your wills, as doth David, saying, Psal. 119.36. Incline my Heart unto thy Testimonies, and not to Co∣vetousness. And Psal. 141.4. Incline not my Heart to any evil thing, (i. e.) Dis-incline my Heart from every evil thing, not to practise wicked works with Men that work Iniquity, and let me not eat of their Dainties. The rather it concerns us to do it, because till this Impedi∣ment of wilful stubbornness, or stubborn wil∣fulness be taken out of the way, a sinner can never be Reformed, his [will not] being his [cannot] as was afore said and proved. If you be Willing and Obedient, saith the Prophet Esay, Chap. 1.19. We must be first VVil∣ling, then Obedient. God works in us, first, the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and then the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, first, to VVill, and then to Do. And therefore,
3. For a more effectual removing of this Impediment out of the way of a sinners Re∣formation, and for the contrary facilitating
thereof; let sinners be exhorted to set up an Opposite VVill, I mean, a fixed VVill, and firm Resolution, that by the Grace of God they will Reform, they will be Reformed. As St. Paul said of Zeal, which indeed seems to be an intense VVill, or intensiveness of VVill, (Gal. 4.18. It is good 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to be zealously always in a good thing.) In like sort may it be well said, It is good, it is very good to be wilful and resolute, to be always so 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in a good Matter, the thing Reformation. Such a firm and resolute VVill had St. Paul, that would not bow, could not be bowed by any perswasions, or disswasions, he saying to his well-wishing Friends (whose Oratory is usu∣ally most potent and pre∣valent) Acts 21.13. What mean ye to weep, and to break my Heart? I am ready, not onely to be bound, but also to dye at Jerusa∣lem for the Name of the Lord Jesus; implying, that albeit they broke his Heart, they should never break his purpose by their disswasions; the Heart of his purpose, or purpose of his Heart. I shall exhort you then, that with the like purpose of Heart, and bent of
VVill you would Resolve upon a Reformation. Imitate David, I have said, says he, Psal. 119.57. that I would keep thy Word. Said? Yea, sworn: For so he says, v. 106. I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy Righteous Judgments. Hear me, O ye Swearers, here is a new Oath for you, O ye God Damn-me's! As the Prophet Jeremy says (Chap. 9.24. He that Glorieth, let him Glory in this, that he unde••standeth and knows God.) In like sort shall I say (and with that saying conclude this Section) He that sweareth, let him swear that which David did, swears this, viz. That by Gods helping Grace (whatsoe∣ver formerly he hath done, yet for the future) he will keep Gods Righteous Judgments; and what he hath sworn, let him perform. And to this end I shall pray much, what in the words of that Prayer of David's, 1 Chron. 29.18. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel; fill the mouths of thy People with such kind of breath, with such Oaths (as afore-said) and keep such a fixedness of VVill, and stedfast pur∣poses in the Heart of thy People for ever, and Establish their Hearts unto thee.
Old Oaths having been so long in Fa∣shion, it's time now, that they were out of Fashion; let all swear∣ers therefore, but more especially Gen∣tlemen-swearers, take up some new kind of Oath: This of David, with Respect where∣unto I say, Let every Man Swear in the Name of God.